Pump



Oct. 21, 1958 Y H, BAADE ETAL' 2,856,859

PUMPV Filed Jan. 7, 1955 2 SheelLS-Sheetl 2 Fie. 4

INVENTORS /Vswey Moe V W0? zs'mmua Unite States Patent i 2,856,859 PUMPHenry Baade and Gi'pheus Quartll, Cleveland, Ohio,

assignors to Visioneering Cmpa'ry,'lnc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporationofDelavvare Application January 7, 1955, `Serial No. 480,578

4 Claims. (Cl. 10S-*117) be changed with alternate irnpellers being usedfor rota tion in opposite directions, while the housings also must bechanged for pump impeller rotation in an opposite direction.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a novel andimproved pump using 'a exible rubber impeller and wherein the pump isadapted rto move large volumes of liquids at relatively low pressures.

Another object of the invention is toA provide a flexible plastic orrubber impeller in a pump wherein the impeller arms, when in a freeposition, extend substantially radi` ally of the pump shaft and haveenlarged portions at the free ends of the impeller arms.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ,pump wherein aflexible impeller can be used to 'rotate in either direction in the pumpand wherein the impeller is positioned eccentrically to the pump axis'in either of two directions for rotation in opposite directions in thepump.

Another object of the invention is to provide apump having an impellerwhich can be driven in either direction and wherein the impeller Vcan beadapted vto operate in a desired direction by a minimum of 'changes inthe pump assembly. x

Yet another object of the invention 'is to provide a pump housing memberthat can lreadily be rotated 'through an arc of 180 to adapt the kpumphousing `for impeller rotation in an opposite direction. Y

Reference now is made to the attached drawings, wherein: l

Fig. l is a vertical longitudinal section `of one pump mbodying theprinciples of the invention and taken on line 1 1 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 2 is a right side elevation of the pump .of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a section, similar to Fig. 3, o'n'lywi'th the pump assemblybeing rearranged to rotate in the opposite direction to that shown inFig. 3. Y p

When referring to corresponding parts shown inthe drawings and referredto in the specification, corresponding numerals are used to facilitatecomparison between the drawings and the specification.

The present invention relates to a vpump which coinprises a pumphousing, a 'sleeve supported-in the "housing and defining a pumpchamberha'ving an inlet andan outlet therein, a shaft, an impeller'wlthresilient arms on the shaft, support means securedto :the pump housingand 2,856,859 Patented Oct. 21, 1958 Yrice engaging said shaft toposition it in the sleeve, which support means are engageable with thepump housing in alternate positions separated by to make the shafteccentric with relation to the sleeve in opposite directions from thecenter line thereof, which sleeve is also positionable in the pumphousing n either of two positions separated by 180 whereby the twopositions of the support means and the sleeve adapt the shaft andimpeller for rotation inteither desired direction dependent upon theassembly of the pump components.

Attention now is directed to the details of the structure shown in theaccompanying drawings, and a pump is shown and indicated as a whole bythe numeral 1. The pump 1 is provided with a housing 2, which housing 2has two oval shaped sections 3 and 4 provided therein. A sleeve 5defining a pump chamber 6 is positioned in and extends through Ithesections 3 and 4 of the housing 2 for receiving the actual pumpmechanism therein for the individual portions of the pump 1. In thisinstance, the pump 1 comprises a double chamber pump made from thesleeve 5 with the two chambers of the pump being completely separate inpumping action. The pump 1 may obviously have one pumping chambertherein, or more than two, if desired, and individual sleeves may beprovided for the different pump chambers.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the sleeve 5 has a plurality of axially spaced,circumferentially directed and aligned inlet slots 7 therein, and asecond rset of similar axially aligned and spaced outlet slots 8 thatextend circumferentally of the sleeve in a substantially oppositeportion thereof and positioned symmetrically with respect to thehorizontal centerline of the pump as positioned in the drawings, in eachsection of the sleeve positioned in a pump chamber.

Fig. 3 shows that a drive shaft 9 is received in the pump housing 2 andextends therethrough, which 'shaft 9 is positioned eccentrically withrelation to and extends through both sections of the sleeve 5. Thus thesleeve 5 has the center lines a--a and b-b whereas the shaft 9 ispositioned on the center lines `c-c and b--b so that shaft 9 is on adiameter of the sleeve 5, but not centered therein.

As an important feature of the invention, resilient, flexible means areused for forming separate impellers that vare positioned within thesleeve 5 in the separate pumping chambers provided. Thus a pair `ofimpellers 10 are provided and each impeller 10 comprises a metal bushingor` driving sleeve 11 to which an impeller base or sleeve 12 is suitablysecured,`as by vulcanization. A plurality of axially extending impellerblades or arms 13 extend substantially radially from the impeller sleeve112 under normal conditions but with such impeller arms beingdeflectable by contact with the wall of the bore of the sleeve 5.Preferably such impeller larms 13 each have enlarged bead or headsections 14 provided at the free ends thereof to rub or seal against thewall of the bore of the sleeve 5 on rotation of the pump. The impellers10 may be made from any suitable material including rubber, syntheticrubber, or otherplastic materials, such as vinyl plastics.

The shaft 9 is suitably .journalled in the pump housing 2, as bybearings 15, and it has a conventional drive pulley 16 secured to oneexposed end of the shaft 9.

rA further special feature of the `present invention is that the`bearings 1S, and thus the "shaft 9, are positioned in the pump 1 bymeans of end plates, or caps 17 removably and reversibly secured to theremainder `of `the pump housing 2, as .bycap screws 18. These end caps17 'provide the specific means `by which the shaft9 `is ,positionedeccentrically within the sleeve 5. The end caps 417 -are of such aconstruction .that they canzbe rotated through 131) with relation to thepump .ho-using 2 and be engaged therewith for moving the shaft 9supported thereby from the eccentric position shown in Fig. 3 withrelation to the pump housing 2, over to that shown in Fig. 4 in thedrawings. It also should be noted that the sleeve Shas a pair ofdiametrically opposed holes or bores 19-and 20 provided therein forengaging a lock screw 21 extending through the housing 2 for beingreceived in one of the bores 19 or 20 depending upon which one ispresented for engagement with such screw 21. It will be vseen that thesleeve 5 has been rotated through 180 from the position shown in Fig. 3over to that shown in Fig. 4. Hence by reversing the position of the endcaps 17, by rotating them through 180, and by rotating the sleeve 5through 180, the pump 1 of the invention can be revised from beingadapted to be driven in counterclockwise direction over to being a pumpadapted for rotation in a clockwise direction. The drawings also clearlybring out that for both operative positions of the pump impeller andshaft, the inlet and outlet slots 7 and 8 are in similar positions withrelation to the eccentricity of the shaft 9 and the direction ofrotation thereof. Hence the impeller arms 13 are pressed in as theyapproach the outlet slots S and are permitted to iiex outwardly moretowards a radial position in the pump as they are moved past the inletslots 7 to draw liquid into the sleeve. As the impeller arms move liquidthrough or around the sleeve 5 over towards the outlet slots 8, theimpeller sleeve 12 is moved radially towards the outlet slots 8 to aidin the discharge of liquid from the pump. The impeller and shaft 9 areso positioned in the sleeve 5 that the volumn defined between a pair ofadjacent impeller arms, the impeller hub or sleeve 'portion 12, and thesleeve 5 is increased adjacent the inlet `slots 7 and decreased adjacentthe outlet slots 8 to provide the pumping action.

By the particular shape of the housing 2 provided in the pump of theinvention, portions of the housing 2 surrounding the sleeve 5 are usedfor providing inlet and outlet liquid receiving chambers for the pump.Hence Fig. 3 clearly shows that an inlet tube or connection 22 isprovided on the housing for passage of fluid into the housing 2 for flowinto and through the slots 7 as the pump impeller 1t) is rotated andwith the Huid expelled from the pump flowing through an outlet tube 23that receives pumped liquid from the outlet slots 8 through the portionof the housing 2 adjacent such slots. This inlet 22 and outlet 23function for either direction of rotation of the impeller.

The sleeve 5 is counterbored at 24 from each end thereof to provide theimpeller receiving chambers therein and the center part of the sleevepositions conventional packing rings or glands 25 therein to seal thepump chambers from each other. Similar sealing rings 26 are carried bythe end caps 17 to seal around the shaft 9. Keys 27 secure the impellers10 to the shaft 9.

Fig. 3 of the drawings shows that there is less circumferential distancebetween the end of the outlet slot 8 and the start of the inlet slot '7in the direction of rotation than from the end of the inlet slot 7 tothe start of the outlet slot 8. However, the slots 7 and 8 are of equallength. The inlet chamber in the pump housing 2 is indicated by thenumeral 2S and 29 is the outlet chamber to which conventional meansconnect for passage of liquid to and from the pump 1. The inlet 22 andoutlet 23 can be reversed, if desired, for pumping liquids through thepump 1 with opposite rotational directions from those shown.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that the pump of the invention can beshipped to an intended user and that such user can readily adapt thepump for rotation in either desired direction and that the assembly ofthe pump can be changed after a period of service without any difficultyto .permit the user to rearrange operation of the pump, if desired.

From the foregoing, it is submitted that a relatively inexpensive,uncomplicated pump assembly has been provided wherein identical pumpcomponents can be used to provide either a pump adapted for clockwiserotation, or for counterclockwise rotation, as desired. The novel,flexible impeller and impeller arms of the pump of the invention aidmaterially in the functioning of the pump and permit liquids to beYpumped efficiently under relatively low pumping pressure. Such resilientimpeller arms aid in sealing the pumped liquid in the pump. Thus it iscontended that the objects of the invention are achieved.

While one complete embodiment of the invention has been disclosedherein, it will be appreciated that modification of this particularembodiment of the invention may resorted to without departing from thescope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A pump comprising a pump housing, a sleeve dening a pump chamber andhaving inlet and outlet slots therein, said sleeve extending through andbeing rotatable in said pump housing and having a pair of diametricallyopposed set screw receiving apertures therein, set screw means engagingsaid pump housing and said apertures to secure said sleeve to saidhousing, a shaft, impeller means on said shaft, end cap means securedto' said pump housing and positioning said shaft in said sleeve, saidend cap means being engageable with said pump housing in alternatepositions and make said shaft and impeller means eccentric with relationto said sleeve in diametrically opposite directions, said sleeve beingpositionable in said pump housing in either of two positions separatedby whereby the two positions of said end cap means and said sleeve adaptsaid shaft for rotation in opposite directions.

2. A pump comprising a pump housing, a sleeve rotatably supported insaid housing and dening a pump chamber having an inlet and an outletformed in said sleeve, means securing said sleeve in said pump housingin either of two arcuate positions spaced 180 apart, a shaft, animpeller `on said shaft and having circumferentially flexible freelymovable resilient rubber impeller arms thereon, end cap means secured tosaid pump housing and positioning said shaft in said sleeve, said endcap means being engageable with said pump housing in alternate positionsseparated by 180 to make said shaft and impeller eccentric with relationto said sleeve in diametrically opposite directions, said sleeve beingpositionable in said pump housing in either of two positions separatedby 180 to maintain said inlet and outlet in fixed relation to theeccentricity of said shaft whereby the two positions of said end capmeans an-d said sleeve adapt said shaft for rotation in eitherdirection.

3. In a pump, a sleeve defining a pump chamber, said sleeve having aplurality of substantially diametrically opposed circumferentiallyextending inlet and outlet slots therein, a drive shaft eccentricallypositioned in said sleeve, a flexible impeller secured to and driven bysaid drive shaft, said impeller having a plurality of axially extending'bendable rubber arms thereon with enlarged end portions resilientlybrushing against the bore of said sleeve, pump housing means rotatablypositioning said sleeve, and end caps reversibly secured to said pumphousing and engaging said drive shaft to position and journal such driveshaft and said impeller in different eccentric positions in said sleevewhereby the positions of said shaft and said sleeve can be changed foropposite directions of drive of said drive shaft and said rubber -armspress against said sleeve for pumping action.

4. In a pump, a sleeve defining a pump chamber, said sleeve having aplurality of substantially diametrically opposed circumferentiallyextending inlet and outlet slots therein, a drive shaft eccentricallypositioned in said sleeve, a flexible impeller secured to and driven bysaid drive shaft, said impeller being veccentrically positioned in saidsleeve and having a plurality of axially extending bendable rubber armsthereon with enlarged end 6 portions resiliently brushing against thebore of said References Cited in the file of this patent sleeve, aplurality of axially spaced circumferentially aligned inlet slots and aplurality of axially spaced circum- UNITED STATES PATENTS ferentiallyaligned outlet slots being provided in said 1,989,900 Vickers Feb 5,1935 sleeve, each of the arms of said impeller being of an 5 2,107,152Huber Feb. l, 1938 axial length as to engage all of the inlet and outletS10-ts, 2,414,187 Borsting 1311, 14, 1947 pump housing means positioningsaid sleeve, said sleeve 2,460,952 Simer et zal. Feb 8, 1949 beingrotatably positioned in said pump housing means, 2,465,887 Larsh Mar-29, 1949 means for securing said sleeve to said pump housing 2,648,287Thoren et al. Aug. ll, 1953 means in either of two positions spaced 180from each 10 2,655,108 Osborne a.. OC- 15, 1953 other, and end capsreversibly secured to said pump hous- 2,663,263 Mayus et al. D60. 22,1953 ing and engaging said drive shaft to position and journal 2,664,050Abresch DCC. 29, 1953 such drive shaft for reversible direction ofrotation but 2,665,636 Lauck Jan- 12, 1954 with the same direction offlow through the pump. 2,712,792. Snyder July 12, 1955

